"Obama Admin Can Steer Money To Gulf If BP Settles"

"As Congress continues to debate whether to send penalties paid by oil giant BP PLC for the Deepwater Horizon disaster to Gulf Coast states, the Justice Department is positioned to have a major say in steering cash to restoration efforts."



"It all depends on whether DOJ lawyers can secure a settlement with BP over the April 20, 2010, explosion and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. If a deal is struck -- which most legal experts predict -- the Obama administration is likely to push hard for what is known as a supplemental environmental project.

Lawyers familiar with environmental litigation say supplemental environmental projects -- or SEPs -- have been part of settlements for years and are a way for the government to ask companies to undertake some mitigation measures. In return, the company might face a less stiff financial penalty."

Lawrence Hurley and Paul Quinlan report for Greenwire February 23, 2012.

Source: Greenwire, 02/24/2012